Cracks in end grain ok for workbench?
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I sourced a bunch of pine to make a workbench from, from a mix of scrap and a local timber yard.
I didn’t notice at the time, but a few pieces have cracks in the end grain which extends onto the face grain around 50-100mm or so so as a hairline.
I’ve attached photos of these, and wondering if they’re still ok to use for a workbench, or whether cracks like these are likely to cause the bench to fall apart over time…
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You must be logged in to view attached files.8 April 2018 at 6:59 pm #520370Think of it a a creative opportunity.
It should be no problem. The cracks are from normal shrinkage as the wood dries through the end grain. Structurally, it will make little difference.
You may wish to seal the ends to slow the drying process out so the wood dries evenly.
A a preventative measure or If it gets worse, you can still fix and stabilize the wood with butterfly or bow tie keys on the top and/bottom of the crack. Maybe pour epoxy or filler into the crack also. I’ve done it a Couple times with tinted epoxy.
If anything, you can add interest to the bench. That figure above your name would do nicely.
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You must be logged in to view attached files.8 April 2018 at 9:11 pm #520457I have had similar issue with a mallet I made from a maple firewood log. I used CA glue(thin) and accelerator to seal the cracks. And these cracks were rather wide at 1/16”. After many many hours of use never had any integrity issue.
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